NHTSA gives stern warning for Hondas equipped with Takata airbags

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is urging owners of certain Honda and Acura vehicles to immediately have their cars fixed to remedy a deadly airbag defect.

According to the NHTSA, certain 2001-2003 Honda and Acura vehicles equipped with Takata airbags have been found to have inflator rupture rates as high as 50 percent in laboratory testing. Ruptured airbag inflators significantly increase the risk of shrapnel, and therefore injury, in the event of a crash.

“The air bag inflators in this particular group of vehicles pose a grave danger to drivers and passengers that must be fixed right away,” said NHTSA Administrator Dr. Mark Rosekind. “Drivers should visit SaferCar.gov or contact their local dealer to check whether their vehicle is affected. If it is, they should have the vehicle repaired immediately for free at an authorized dealer. We commend Honda for taking additional actions to get these vehicles repaired.”

Vehicles residing in humid climates such as Florida and Texas are the most susceptible to inflator rupture. According to Honda, about 70 percent of vehicles in those high-risk areas have been repaired, but about 313,000 vehicles still have the potentially fatal airbags.

The NHTSA has linked eight of the 10 confirmed Takata airbag deaths to the vehicles included in Thursday’s warning.